Las Vegas, Nevada - The Best In The Desert Racing Association is getting ready for the last race of the 2001 "Silver State Series." The Las Vegas "200" is almost here! Saturday, December 1, 2001, the off-road race community will have the opportunity to race on an all-new Best In The Desert racecourse, it's the 2nd annual Las Vegas "200" but an all-new racecourse! The most exciting aspect of the all-new Las Vegas "200" racecourse is that it is going to be "spectator" friendly! The racecourse is designed to have one central pit, and one alternate pit, easy for pitting and easy for spectating!

The Las Vegas "200" will also feature a separate racecourse for the Motorcycle & Quad community and a separate racecourse for the Car & Truck community! The Motorcycle & Quad race community will race a 50-mile loop four times and the Car & Truck community will race a 72-mile loop three times. This is a different format than the other "Silver State Series" races but Casey Folks always finds a way to create something new. "I like to create different racecourses and give the racers a variety of challenges. During my racing career I preferred long distance, endurance types of races, and that is what I have tried to create in Best In The Desert, but after last year's course change we ended up with a loop race with one central pit and everyone seemed to really enjoy it. The racers loved it and the pit crews loved it. I got a lot of comments from everyone about how much they liked watching the Motorcycles & Quads race and also the Motorcycle & Quad community stayed around and watched the Car & Truck race! I try to offer a race series with variety and this has worked out for everyone," says Folks.

Last year's top winners in the Open Pro Motorcycle Class were Ty Davis (Hesperia, CA) and Kurt Caselli (Palmdale, CA), in the Quad Pro Class, 1st Place winners were Eric Hays (Henderson, NV) and Joshua Frederick (Moapa, NV). In the Car & Truck Division 1st place and overall winners were Kyle Taylor (San Jacinto, CA) and Gordon "Smokey" McKiel (Palm Springs, CA) in the 8000 Class.

Since this is the last race of the 2001 "Silver State Series" it also means that this race is critical as far as the year-end points contenders go; 1st place receives 225 points, 2nd place receives 210 points and 3rd place receives 196 points. Some of the close points races to watch are in the Open Pro Class between Jonah Street with 814 points and Johnny Campbell with 796 points, both riding for Honda, with 18 points between them. Campbell beat Street in the "Vegas to Reno" race by 7 seconds, but Street has been leading the Open Pro Class all year and wants that #1 plate. The Over-30 Pro Class is close between Daryl Folks (870 pts) and Darrol Brown (841 pts.) In the Quad Pro Class it is a very close race between the top four race teams, Mike Johnson (539 pts), Doug Eichner (460 pts), tied with Steve Beilman (460 pts), and William Yokley (431 pts.)

In the Car & Truck Division the close races are in the Protruck Class between Jason Cobb (446 pts), Rob Reinertson (433 pts), and Chet Huffman (406 pts.) The 1400 Trick Truck Class is always exciting to watch and this year is no different. It will be a battle to the end with only an 82 point difference between Damen Jefferies (646 pts) and Lonny Helmbolt (564 pts.) Is Damen going to take that #1 plate away from Lonny? There is only a 94 point difference in the 1500 Class between Mark Weyhrich (529 pts) and Troy Herbst (435 pts.) In the 4100 Class the battle is between Marc Stein (660 pts) and John Sunderland (604 pts.) John Sunderland is just coming off an exciting "Vegas to Reno" win with just a 14 second lead and is going to give Marc a fight to capture that #1 plate! In the 8100 Class, Greg Foutz and Jeremy Spirkoff are tied with both 631 points! In the 8000 Class watch Kyle Taylor (675 pts) and Dave Westhem (603 pts). Kyle is amazing to watch but Dave is always on his heels, or should I say wheels! Also, a great story that cannot go untold is about Rob MacCachren, racing in four different race series and leading in all four! In the 7300 Class, Rob MacCachren is leading with 675 pts, but Deputy Steve Williams (616 pts) is not going to give up that #1 plate without a fight. This race not only means a lot to MacCachren and Williams, but to all of the race teams that have raced the entire "Silver State Series" and fought with blood, sweat and tears just to get to the finish! It isn't an easy sport, but it is a sport that provides a great deal of pride when you see that checkered flag!

The Host Hotel for the Las Vegas "200" is the beautiful Suncoast Hotel, off of US-95 at the Summerlin exit in Las Vegas. Registration, Technical Inspection and Contingency will be held Friday, November 30, 2001, from 10am to 6pm. On Saturday, the Las Vegas "200" starts and finishes near the Jean exit, off of I-15 South. The Motorcycles, Quads, Cars and Trucks all start at approximately 7:00am.

For more information, call or write:
Best In The Desert Racing Association
3475 Boulder Highway
Las Vegas, NV 89121
(702) 457-5775, (702) 241-6431 fax
www.bitd.com